Geologists say Shively Fault in Humboldt County poses quake risk
Geologists have uncovered an active fault in Humboldt County, California, called the Shively Fault.
Using lidar technology and a big excavation, researchers believe this fault is still moving, and it has the power to cause devastating earthquakes.
Jason Patton from the California Geological Survey first spotted it in 2022, and since then, he and Mark Hemphill-Haley, professor emeritus of geology at Cal Poly Humboldt, have dug deeper with help from the US Geological Survey.
Fault could produce magnitude 7 quakes
The Shively Fault has triggered four huge quakes over the past 20,000 years. Experts say it could produce magnitude seven earthquakes, way stronger than Mendocino County's recent 5.6 quake on June 24.
This discovery adds to worries about the Pacific Ring of Fire, where deadly earthquakes are common; recent disasters in Venezuela show just how serious things can get.
The US Geological Survey warned the Venezuela earthquakes could lead to tens of thousands of deaths.